Jagannath Puri Rath Yatra 2021
Recently Jagannath Puri Rath Yatra has been organized in Odisha from July 12, 2021 to July 20, 2021.
Jagannath Puri Rath Yatra:
- This RathYatra is a Hindu festival, it is related to Lord Jagannath and this RathYatra is organized in Puri, Odisha.
- Chariots of Shri Jagannath is celebrated every year at Puri, the temple town in Odisha, on the second (dwitiya) day of shukla pakhya (waxing cycle of moon) of Ashadha Masa (3rd month of Odia calendar).
- This is a nine day long program. It marks the return of Lord Krishna along with his brother Balabhadra and sister Subhadra to the Gundicha temple via the MausiMaa temple near Sarada Bali in Puri.
- In this festival 3 holy chariots carrying the idols of Lord Jagannath, and his brother Balarama (Balabhadra) and sister Subhadra are pulled by thousands of devotees from India as well as abroad.
Jagannath Temple:
- This temple was built in the twelfth century by King Anantha varman Chodaganga Dev of the Eastern Ganga Dynasty.
- JagannathPuri Temple is also known as ‘Yamanika Tirtha’, where, under Hindu beliefs, the power of the God of Death ‘Yama’ has ended due to the presence of Lord Jagannath.
- This temple was called “White Pagoda” and is a part of Chardham pilgrimage (Badrinath, Dwarka, Puri, Rameshwaram).
- The temple has 4 main gates (‘Singh Dwar’ in the East, ‘Ashwa Dwar’ in the South, ‘Vyaghara Dwar’ in the West and ‘Hasti Dwar’ in the North). Each door is carved.
- In front of its entrance stands the ‘Arun Stambha’ or ‘Surya Stambha’, which was originally installed in the Sun Temple of Konark.Other Important Monuments of Odisha:
- Konark Sun Temple (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
- Lingaraja Temple
- Tara Tarini Temple
- Udayagiri and Khandagiri Caves
Source – The Hindu
